Halfling Swordsmen
|upkeep_cost = |num_figures = |moves = |melee = |defense = |resist = |hits = |abilities = Large Shield Lucky }} Halfling Swordsmen are a type of Normal Unit that can be recruited in Halfling Towns containing at least a Barracks and a Smithy. Swordsmen are a basic combat unit available to all Races. They are better defended against Ranged Attacks than other low-tier units, but generally don't pose much of a threat to more advanced units. They can become somewhat stronger through though. Halfling Swordsmen have a Construction Cost of , and require an Upkeep Cost of and to maintain. Failure to pay these costs will result in the unit being disbanded automatically. Unit Properties Physical Description Halfling Swordsmen are a group of short humanoids, no more than a few feet in height. They are dressed in purple tunics with brown belts, and have no need to wear shoes thanks to their rugged, furry feet. Halfling Swordsmen carry swords for up-close-and-personal combat, and large pale-green bucklers which protect them from enemy arrows and other ranged attacks. Halfling Swordsmen are a , containing up to soldiers. Attack Properties Halfling Swordsmen possess a Melee Attack that will initially only be threatening to other low-tier Normal Units. They have an Attack Strength of only , which yields an average "raw" output of per Swordsman. While this may be able to get through lighter armor, it's not quite enough to consistently hurt well-protected opponents. Halfling Swordsmen do get better with though, both in strength and accuracy. At the level, the maximum normally attainable, their attacks will do over twice this much - points of "raw" , on average, per Swordsman. Defensive Properties Halfling Swordsmen are lightly armored, possessing a Defense score of . They can deflect about points from Conventional Damage attacks, on average. Unfortunately, this is rarely enough to avoid anything but the weakest attacks. Like all Swordsmen however, they carry Large Shields, which grant an extra against all types of Conventional Damage that is delivered at a range. This brings their average reduction up to a respectable against , , and , as well as , , the hidden Conventional component of most Gaze Attacks, and all spells and effects that deal Conventional Damage, including Area Damage. As with most common foot soldiers though, each Halfling Swordsman has only . In other words, each point of inflicted on this unit will kill off one of its . Their Resistance score is relatively high though. Their racial bonus, coupled with the Lucky trait, yield a total of in combat - giving Halfling Swordsmen a decent chance to avoid Unit Curses and other ill effects. , , and even also improve with . Other Properties Halfling Swordsmen move at a slow , and can only traverse land tiles. The unit has no special movement properties. Basic Strategy Halfling Swordsmen are a step up from the basic Halfling Spearmen. Slightly stronger on the attack, and better defended against spells and ranged opponents, they can serve as a decent main-line unit in the early stages of the campaign. The Barracks and Smithy required to recruit them are typically cheap enough to build in every Town, especially since the latter is also needed for some of the economical Town Buildings, and is likely to be constructed sooner rather than later. Because of their defensive advantage, Swordsmen are often a better choice than Spearmen for garrisoning frontier Settlements and contested areas. However, it should be noted that unlike Spearmen, they also cost to maintain in addition to , and Halfling Swordsmen also get a racial penalty of '-1' to their Melee Strength, which Halfling Spearmen are not subject to. Regardless, they are still a direct upgrade in comparison, thanks to being unique among Swordsmen in that they have , as opposed to the usual . This means that enhancement effects, including , have the same effectiveness on Halfling Swordsmen as they do on Spearmen, without having to sacrifice any of that for their improved statistics, as is the case for most other Races. Ability Overview Large Shield * This unit receives a Defense bonus of against all types of Conventional Damage delivered at range - including all Ranged Attacks, short-range attacks, and . Lucky * During combat, this unit receives a bonus, improving the chance for each die of its Attack Rolls to cause a point of "raw" . * During combat, this unit receives a bonus, improving the chance for each die of its Defense Rolls to block a point of Conventional Damage. * During combat, the Resistance of this unit is improved by , making it easier to avoid the effects of Unit Curses and Special Damage attacks. * Furthermore, any Melee- or Counter Attacks against this unit suffer a penalty of , although this effect is seemingly unintended, and is removed in the unofficial patches. Experience Table The following table illustrates how Halfling Swordsmen improve with Experience. Any properties that are not listed here are not affected by in any way. * To achieve this level, either the Warlord Retort or the spell must be in play. ** To achieve this level, both Warlord and must be in play simultaneously. Average Damage Output The table below details the average amount of "raw" that each in a Halfling Swordsmen unit will deliver based on . It can be used in comparison to the target's Defense rating to approximate the chance of hurting that target. Acquisition Halfling Swordsmen may be recruited in any Halfling Town that has both a Barracks and a Smithy already built. The Construction Cost of this unit is . Halfling Swordsmen may also appear as Mercenaries, provided that the player has a presence on Arcanus. In this case, they cost between to to hire per unit, based on their - or half that much for Charismatic Wizards. Category:Units Category:Normal Units Category:Halflings Category:Swordsmen